Union machinists and supporters wave picket signs in Everett, Washington, Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024, near a Boeing factory.
In the face of opposition from the union, Som Dom, an electrician with 17 years at Boeing's factory in Renton, Washington, said workers need better wages for the high cost of living in the Seattle area. John Lentz, a Boeing electrician who joined co-workers in waving strike signs along a side road near the Renton factory, said the way Boeing bypassed union negotiators in announcing the offer “seems to be kind of shady there. We do have people that are in place to negotiate for us.”
“We build a product that people’s lives depend on,” Reifel said. “There will be plenty of bonus money to go around for upper-level and mid-level and first-level managers and all that, but if we don’t build it, there’s no product. And we work hard.” “If it fails, it should prompt union leadership to reengage in serious negotiations," he said. However, union leadership's support for Boeing's previous offer — which lost in a 96% strike vote — raises questions about the union's ability to win support for the new, improved offer, he said.